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(No Model.)

' O. N. ENO.

TENTERING FRAME.

No. 540,783. Patented June 11, 1395.

H ER ATTYS.

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TENTERlNG-FRAMEQ SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,783, dated June 11, 1895. Application filed February 15, 1895. Serial No. 638,582- (No model.)

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, CAROLINE NANCY ENO, a citizen of the United States, residing at P0- mona, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Tentering-Frames, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more especially to tentering frames for stretching lace curtains while drying. These curtains are usually provided with scalloped edges, which makes it very difficult to attach the curtain to the tenters heretofore in use, in such a manner that the curtain will be uniformly and perfectly stretched; that is to say, some curtains are provided along their length with large scallops, some are provided with small scallops, and some are provided with alternating large and small scallops. Tenters heretofore in use have been provided with tenter hooks rigidly fixed to the frame at regular intervals and arranged in line, so that withoutthe scallops upon the curtain chance to correspond to the hooks upon the tenter, it has been necessary to hook the tenter hooks into the curtain at a distance from the edge or the points of the scallops, and it is very difficulty to arrange the hooks at exactly the same distance from the edge of the curtain. The result of this is that oftentimes the curtain is unevenly stretched, or so much strain may fall upon one or two of the hooks as to tear the curtain. Furthermore the scallops are not stretc'hed, and the curtain does not present the neat and attractive appearance which it presents when it is properly stretched and dried.

The main objects of my invention are to provide a tenter which will be adapted to perfectly and uniformly stretch lace curtains of all kinds irrespective of the number or size of the scallops, one which is cheap andsimple in construction and more convenient and effective in its operation than any device-of this class heretofore known to me.

My invention comprises the various features of construction and combinations of parts whereby I am enabled to accomplish the objects hereinbefore specified.

The accompanying drawings illustrate means whereby I carry my invention into practical operation.

Figure l is a perspective view of a tentering-frame in the position it occupies when in use. Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view of one of the side members of the tenter-frame. Fig. 3 isan enlarged perspective view of a fragment'of the hingejoint of the frame, looking from the rear .or

under side of the frame. Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a modified form of support.

In the drawings A represents the frame of the tenter, which consists of the two side pieces B, B and the two end or cross pieces 0, 0', arranged to connect the side pieces. The side pieces'and the cross pieces are secured together by means of removable clamps D, so that the several parts of the frame may hooks g, g, and are arranged to slide along the rods to adjust the tenter hooks to suit the curtain to be stretched. The rods Fare each arranged parallel with its respective memberof the frame to which'it is secured, but slightly separate therefrom. The base G of each'block is fiat and arranged to seat against the frame to prevent the block from turning upon the rod. In order to adapt the tenter for curtains having alternating large and small scallops I provide the blocks G with long tenter hooks g" which are adapted to hook upon the small scallops, and I provide the blocks G with short hooks g which are adaptedto hook upon the large scallops. I have not shown the curtain in the drawings since it does not constitute any part of my invention and illustration thereof is not essential to the complete understanding of my invention by those versed in the art.

As shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the supports E are ring shaped and the rodsF are slipped into position endwise, care being taken to place the blocks in position upon each rod as it is inserted through the supports. When in place the rods are each held in place by means of a thumb-screw E screwed through one of the supports and engaging with the rod.

Should it be deemed desirable, the supports E intermediate the two end supports of each rod may be made hook shaped as shown by E Fig. 4, to thereby allow the more convenient removal and replacing of the rods when it is desired to arrange more hooks upon the rods to adapt the frame for stretching curtains having an unusual number of small scallops.

For ordinary use it has been found desirable to make these frames foldable and portable, and to do this it becomes necessary to make each of the side pieces B, B of two members 12 b, b" b respectively and to secure the two members rigidly together when in use, but in such a manner as to permit them to be folded when desired. Various forms of joints have been designed for this purpose, but most of them lack rigidity and strength, and the rest, so far as I am aware, are not convenient in operation.

I provide a joint which is very simple in construction, and convenient in operation, and one which is rigid and not liable to get out of order. This joint comprises the combination of the two members 19,1) (bothjoints are alike, so I will describe only the joint of the side piece B) a strap hinge I connecting the two members, a rigid metallic strap J (preferably steel) arranged upon the side of the members opposite the hinge and pivoted by one end to one member I) of the side piece by a boltj passing through the member I) and secured to one end of the hingel, the other end of the strap being provided with a slot J and arranged to seat upon a study" which is formed by the end of a bolt which passes through the member I) and is secured to the other end of thehingeI. Thus,when theframeisextended and the strap is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the two members are rigidly held between two plates formed by the strap J and the hinge I, and the bolts are rigidly fixed by reason of being secured to the hinge and cannot be drawn out of place by ordinaryusage. When it is desired to fold the side pieces, the strap J is turned upon its pivot until the strap extends back along the member I) and is thus removed out of the way.

K, K represent supports whereby the frame may be held at any desired inclination. These supports are hinged at their tops to the cross pieces 0, 0' respectively, and notched adjusting bars L, L are pivoted to the cross pieces and adapted to engage studs 1,1 upon the supports as shown in Fig. 1. By adjusting the notched arms or adjusting bars L, L, upon the studs 1, Z the inclination of the frame can be varied to suit the requirements of the operator.

In practice the curtain is tentered by booking one of the tenter hooks into the point of each scallop. By sliding the blocks along the rods the hooks can be adjusted to bring them so they will hookinto the tip or point of each scallop irrespective of the distance between the points thereof. If small scallops alternate with thelarge scallops the long hooks g are hooked into the tips or points of the small scallops, and the short hooks g are hooked into the tips of the long scallops. The frame can be adjusted in the ordinary manner by means of the corner clamps, so as to tenter curtains of any ordinary size.

It is my intention to make the side pieces of the frame about twelve feet long and the cross pieces about six feet long, so that when not in use the side pieces may be folded together, the supports K, K folded upon the cross pieces and the whole device be secured in the form of a bundle six feet long and of inconsiderable size.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination set forth of the frame; the rods secured to the frame, each rod being parallel with its respective member but at a distance therefrom; the blocks arranged to slide upon the rods and to engage the frame to prevent the blocks from turning upon the rods, such blocks being provided with outwardly projecting tenterhooks of different lengths.

2. The combination set forth of the member of the frame; the rod secured to the member, parallel therewith but at a distance therefrom; the block arranged to slide along the rod and to engage the frame to prevent the block from rotating on the rod, and the tenter hook secured to the block.

3. The combination set forth of the frame; the supports secured to the frame and arranged to seat the tenter hook rod and to support such rod parallel with the side of the frame but separate therefrom; the tenter hook rod seated in the supports, and the blocks provided with the tenter hooks and arranged to slide along such rod and provided with a flat base arranged to fit against the side of the frame to prevent the blocks from turning on the rod.

CAROLINE NANCY ENO.

Witnesses:

B. W. ENO, O. R. JOHNSON.

ICO

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